Sunday, February 12, 2012

Count Me In for 'Bringing In the Darlings'

Josh Ritter gives plenty of love to his fans, and that appreciation is shown not only in the genuine thanks he gives at every performance but also in his actions. Ritter's next album cannot come soon enough for fans, myself included, so it was so wonderful to learn that he'll release a six song EP on February 21st. Not only that, but you can stream the song "Why" right now over at Paste, which also has a short write up on the EP's creation. I clicked play immediately.

Striking in its' simplicity,"Why" is a small song about big things. The song is quiet, with only an acoustic guitar as accompaniment to Ritter's smooth voice, but the stripped down nature of the song allows for the meaning to push through. There is nothing covering it up. Interpretation of a song's meaning can be tricky business. I have always firmly believed that the interpretation is up to the individual listener. Songs, just like all forms of art, mean different things to different people. "Why" strikes me as one without a hidden meaning or underlying message. Rather, the lyrics are perfect in their straightforwardness. In particular, "Why spend your only life waiting/to do what you know you can do?" wonderfully illustrates the meaning of the song: Go for it, why wait? Can it be that simple? I think it can, and that is what makes it a great song.

So head to iTunes on February 21st or pre-order it now on Ritter's site and support this great artist. Don't wait!